Author: CHRISTIES NEW YORK
Title: The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Fine and Important Japanese Books and Manuscripts, Friday, October 7, 1988
Description: Christies New York. 1988, 1st Edition. Hardcover, with dust jacket. Book, English text.; Hardcover (with dust jacket).; 1 Kg.; 21 x 26.5; 160 lots with balck and wihte and colour illustrations.; USed with signs of wear on the dust jacket, that shows edge wear, wear marks throughout and two tears on the rear of the dust jacket. Interior in good condition apart from the front free endpaper that shows some yellowing and is slight glue to the front free endpaper on the right side.; The remaining interior is in very good condition.; Catalogue from The Donald and Mary Hyde Collection of Japanese Books and Manuscripts sold for the benefit of the Pierpont Morgan Library with 160 lots held on Friday, October 7, 1988 at Christie's New York.; "In the autumn of 1960 I made a long-planned visit to Japan with my husband, Donald Hyde. We had letters of introduction from two close friends, Philip Hofer of Harvard, who was book-hunting both for the Houghton Library and for the Fogg Art Museum; and from Karl Kup, curator of the Spencer Collection at the New York Public Library. Their letters were to the same distinguished scholar-bookman, Shigeo Sorimachi, who, in the main, had supplied their important Japanese books and manuscripts. With these introductions we were soon received by Mr. Sorimachi at his house. There, we saw marvelous picture-scrolls, early printed books and manuscripts, including the eighth century sutra, Daihyannyamitakyo, one of the oldest Japanese manuscripts (lot 1 in this catalogue), and the Pillow Book, one of the two known sets of the complete three-volume edition made before 1600 (lot 22), and, of special interest to Don as an attorney, Goseibai Shikimoku, the fifth oldest manuscript of this early compilation of laws (lot 5). Would it be possible, we asked- with his help to form an important collection of Japanese literary and historical books and manuscripts? Not a large collection but one of high quality, with an emphasis on the significance of the text, its rarity and condition? Mr. Sorimachi thought such a collection could be made in five to ten years, and he agreed to help us. We purchased the three items I have just mentioned and six others and so our collection began. Every few months Mr. Sorimachi would send us a letter offering twelve items. These were in various fields, each item accompanied by a photograph. We decided to concentrate in three areas: early manuscripts and first editions of Japanese classics-literature, philosophy, religion, science and law. (Our emphasis was on literature-chronicles, novels, poetry and drama). The second area was to be devoted to early movable type books (1590-1640); and the third area, Japanese books beautiful and famous in themselves. When lists of offerings arrived at Four Oaks Farm all twelve items were so desirable that rarely was even one refused. I am consoled by believing that the buyers of the items in this catalogue will derive the same pleasure and pride from them which I have had for almost thirty years." excerpt from the introduction by Mary Hyde Eccles, October 1988. Good/Dust Jacket Included.

Keywords: christies nyc,auction,donald and mary hyde collection,japan,japanese books,japanese manuscripts


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